Leitchville Primary wins Walk to School again

WINNING WALKERS: Ella Roberts, Lily Parsons, Ryder Smith, Austin Smith and Ethan Billman were some of the Leitchville Primary School students walking to school.

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LEITCHVILLE Primary School will again be visited by an AFL player after taking out the top spot in the VicHealth Walk to School program for the north-western Victoria region.

For the second year in a row the school, which had 12 students in 2018, had the highest participation rate of students walking to school in October last year and has earned themselves the top spot in the region for the program.

The major prize includes an AFL player coming to the school for a day and a player memorabilia item being presented to the school.

Leitchville Primary School teacher Polly Healey said the whole school got involved as students were more than willing to take part.

‘‘We’d have staff meet students who came by bus and they’d walk down to school all together, while the rest would ride, walk or scoot to school in the mornings,’’ she said.

‘‘The program fits in as part of our healthy living, health and physical education programs, and so being a close community we’re keen to promote it.

‘‘Leitchville is tight-knit, it’s a safe community that kids can walk to school and living so close by makes it easier for students.’’

After the competition the students — except those who travelled by bus — continued walking and riding to school.

Ms Healey said the school is still promoting walking to school, as they have in past years.

‘‘We’ve had a pretty good track record, it’s instilled in the community to keep our kids happy and healthy — so much so we have footprints painted on the path out the front of the school,’’ she said.